Too ill to earn

Posted on Friday 3rd of June 2016.

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‘Seven Families’ highlights the importance of protecting your income.

Seven Families is a charity-led campaign that aims to raise awareness of the financial and emotional difficulties caused by long-term illness or disability. Launched in November 2014, it follows seven real families in the UK where the main breadwinner has been forced out of work by an accident or illness – without having any protection insurance in place.

The Clarke family

Tracey Clarke and her husband Tim live on a houseboat after financial difficulties forced the sale of the family home.

Tracey was born without functional vision in her left eye. It had never caused her problems until 2011 when her eyesight began to shut down completely. Tracey had to give up driving and, ultimately, her career as a Pharmacy Technician. Soon after, her husband Tim was made redundant. The effect of losing two incomes unexpectedly meant Tracey and Tim had to rethink their financial plans. They were forced to sell their home of 25 years and find a place that would allow them to live within their means on the benefits they now depend on.

Looking back

Tim and Tracey admit they had to choose between paying various insurance policies and feeding the family. Looking back, Tracey says “Obviously feeding the family had to come first. We should have looked again at the budget to find a way of maintaining the payments for the insurance policies.”

Have you protected yourself and your family?

Income protection cover will help provide an income if you are unable to work due to an accident, sickness or, in some cases, unemployment. Get in touch to find out how we can help protect you and your loved ones.